Pro-Choice North Carolina celebrates the passage of two local abortion rights resolutions this month! On Wednesday, September 11, and Thursday, September 12, the local governments in the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, respectively, passed a "Human Rights are Reproductive Rights" resolution. Both resolutions reiterated their local governments' past support of reproductive rights and freedom, laid out the escalating criminalization of abortion access and the harm it causes, particularly to marginalized groups, and detailed the human rights doctrines that demand all people be able to access safe and legal abortion care when they need it, in the communities where they live. Both local governments then called on their elected colleagues in local and state offices, including in the Judicial Branch, to repeal North Carolina's current unnecessary and dangerous abortion laws, to prohibit the prosecution of people for pregnancy outcomes, and to protect and guarantee reproductive freedom for all North Carolinians.
You can read the Chapel Hill resolution here and watch a video of the resolution presentation here.
You can read the Carrboro resolution here.
Pro-Choice North Carolina was proud to be a part of this effort with our partners at El Pueblo and Ipas, and our Executive Director spoke at the Carrboro meeting when the resolution was passed. You can read her comments below.
Public Comments from Pro-Choice North Carolina's Executive Director:
"Carrboro is among just four local governments in North Carolina and approximately two dozen localities around the country that have passed resolutions calling for an end to the unjust anti-abortion federal Hyde Amendment, so it is no surprise to reproductive freedom advocates that the elected officials in the Town of Carrboro are tonight considering a resolution in declaration of fundamental reproductive freedoms. Reproductive rights are absolutely human rights, and tonight’s resolution is a welcome and visible action as we are witness now to the most intense attacks on abortion, birth control, and reproductive healthcare access across the country in decades.
Reproductive freedom, including safe and affordable access to abortion, contraception, pre and post-natal care, and comprehensive and accurate sex education, is a necessary and critical freedom that too many politicians are eager to trade away in exchange for political power. With a hyper-politicized U.S. Supreme Court that overturned nearly 50 years of legal precedent in 2022 in order to re-criminalize abortion, elected officials in states like Texas, Idaho, Florida, and Arkansas openly attacking abortion patients, providers, supporters and voters with substandard care, threats of imprisonment, or attacks on democracy, and lawmakers here in North Carolina continuing to stigmatize and erode access to all sexual and reproductive healthcare, we urgently need local governments to take a stand for these fundamental freedoms.
Whether it’s ensuring safety at abortion and reproductive healthcare clinics, finding innovative ways to expand access to affordable, quality maternity, reproductive and sexual healthcare, ensuring youth have the tools they need to assert their bodily autonomy, or creating tangible and material support and policies for people making their own reproductive healthcare decisions, there are numerous ways local governments can step in where our state and federal government have fallen short. We applaud the Town of Carrboro’s proactive efforts to assure its residents that their local elected officials are committed to the values of reproductive freedom.
Restrictions on abortion, just as restrictions on all healthcare, impact Black, Indigenous, and People of Color more acutely and disproportionately. Unnecessary and political restrictions force these communities and people with low incomes, rural communities, young people, immigrant communities, LGBTQ+ people, and those with disabilities to bear unjust burdens as they try to access care that is critical to their health, safety, well-being, and economic security. As reproductive oppression occurs at many intersections, we know that abortion access is not the only target, and that we must remain vigilant in facing these escalating oppressions.
We applaud the Town of Carrboro for considering this proactive approach to Reproductive Freedom. We encourage the Town to adopt this resolution, to build on the Town’s history of championing human rights and equality for all, and to stand as a leader for other local governments to follow."
Last week's local resolutions show the importance of all elections, as having vocal reproductive freedom champions in office at all levels of government is needed to restore, protect, and expand access to the full range of reproductive healthcare, including abortion. At a time when too many state and federal politicians are using their office to attack people's bodily autonomy and rights, it is incredibly meaningful to have local elected officials stand up and unapologetically declare their support for abortion access. With the majority of North Carolinians believing the government should not have a say in these decisions, we must demand this stance of all elected officials.
The November 2024 elections are fast approaching! Find general information on voting on our website here, and information on the connections between down ballot races and reproductive freedom here. You can also find more information on how Project 2025 can harm reproductive freedom here, and the Pro-Choice North Carolina PAC endorsements here.